Tending the Forge of American Space Power

Tending the Forge of American Space Power

American culture has long had a fascination with outer space. President John F. Kennedy described it as "this new ocean," and words like "destiny" and "frontier" are frequently used to characterize America's relationship to it. Hollywood and the media often approach it with a sense of wonder, humility, and even a bit of fear. From the opening strains of "2001: A Space Odyssey" to the aliens from "Avatar," space remains a source of mystery.

This cultural phenomenon may be a remnant of the first two-thirds of the 20th century, when in the span of a single lifetime, it was possible to witness the rapid progress from Wilbur and Orville Wright's 12-horsepower, wood-and-fabric Kitty Hawk aircraft to the Saturn rocket's 8.7 million pounds of thrust that landed a man on the moon. For a time, the 20th century even earned the moniker, "The Space Age." Then, it all stopped. Human history moved on.

To be sure, the space program continued to contribute memorable events, but none that matched the age that culminated in landing a man on the moon. The men who took part in that epic adventure remain recognizable even today. Buzz Aldrin, the second man to walk on the moon, recently appeared on the popular television program, "Dancing with the Stars," more than 40 years after he became a household name. By contrast, only a handful of people can name even one of the astronauts currently living aboard the International Space Station.

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review